Creating the Colonial Subject: Casta Paintings, Collectors, and Critics in Eighteenth-Century Mexico and SpainSusan Deans-Smith Departments of History and Latin American Studies
University of Texas at Austin Abstract: This essay focuses on the casta paintings (images which depict racial mixtures or mestizaje) which were produced primarily in eighteenth-century Mexico. I explore the cultural milieu within which this unique genre developed, their production and consumption, and viewer responses to them. Close analysis of patrons and audiences not only contributes to a more nuanced understanding of casta paintings but also deepens our understanding of their collection, the cultural and intellectual networks within which they developed, and the polyvalence of their images. I emphasize the importance of Spain's participation in a "culture of curiosity" and growing interest in natural history in trying to understand the attraction of the casta paintings for many patrons. I argue that for some patrons, the casta paintings may be read as “proud renditions” of empire, which convey as much about Spain's colonial resources as they do about race: the colonial subject as a racially mixed but productive cog in Spain’s imperial machine as it sought to reclaim its former position of power and glory. I also argue that while much remains to be learned about viewership of the casta paintings, fragmentary evidence suggests that audience responses varied from enthusiastic appreciation, to studied scepticism, to criticism. In general, the casta genre provides an early example of the controversial nature of the visual representation of difference and of race.
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